Love in War
by polarbear815
Summary: It's the 74th Hunger Games and Rachel and Puck are picked but from two different Districts. Can they somehow find love? Don't read if you haven't read the first book.
1. Chapter 1

**So i love the Hunger Games (who doesn't?) and Glee so I decided to mesh them together. If you haven't read the series or at least the first novel don't read this because there would be major major spoilers. But other then that Puckleberry Games it is!**

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><p>The breeze in the air seemed to have shifted. It becoming suddenly cooler. Being a hunter, she knew it was a warning sign.<p>

"Rachel Berry." Effie Trinkets voice rung out. She knew that her doe eyes had gotten remotely huge, but she hid the fear as she took the seemingly endless trail to the stage. Once reaching it Effie helped her up, smiling too brightly for the dreadful occasion. Rachel was barely only aware of the sound of Effie's heels clicking along the hardwood stage as she made her way over to the bowl of boy tributes.

"Samuel Evans." She read in her loud voice. This pulled Rachel from her thoughts of her own safety, realizing she just may have to kill one of the nicest boys she knew.

If she even made it past the first minute.

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><p>The capital train had many hidden treasures. Press the red button on the edge of the table, and an avox brings you water. Hit the third button on your bed frame and you get a new pillow. Let's not even getting started on the showers, which spew hot water.<p>

Even the sofa she's sitting on right now, made from velvet, is one of the greatest pleasures she's ever had. Sam is wedged next to her, with Haymitch, their menotor, and Effie. They're watching the earlier reapings, or more so, seeing who they're up against.

The obvious start off place is District one, watching as a girl with golden hair cropped below her ear volunteer over at least three other girls. She gets picked along with a mammoth of a man named David Karosky. Rachel envy's his overweight figure, knowing that he'd had plenty to eat in his life.

District two is met with a volunteer from a girl named Sugar Motta and a gangly looking boy named Finn. Neither Sam nor Rachel can figure out why they volunteered. They look not even the slightest bit strong. But they both know that they may have hidden talents.

And then there's Brittany Pierce, a blond beauty from District 3, with matching tribute Rory Flanagan.

District four sticks out for Rachel, not because of the gorgeous tanned girl named Santana, with fierce cutting eyes, but the boy, or rather, man. Picked at age 17, she catches his name to be Noah Puckerman. What seems to draw her in is the way he hugs a girl who must be his little sister who was standing in the roped off section for 12 year olds before he takes the stage. She immediately notices his physical features. The strength rippling from each his arms under his polo shirt, and the darkened color of his hazels. She feels like she should be frightened, considering he looks like he could snap her like a twig, but she's somehow comforted. It makes no sense to her, so she drowns out all the thoughts about this Noah from her head.

District 5, two Asians, the boy looking like he could kill on the spot. District 6 flashes over the screen on a chocolate colored girl, Mercedes is picked along with a crippled boy. This cause outrage among the crowd of people in District 6. Even the commentators seem to disapprove.

A girl named Harmony is picked from District 7, with an 18 year old named Jesse. In District 8, a small girl, April, and a boy with wild hair, Jacob. In District 9 a monster of a girl named Lauren Zizes is picked. Rachel knows for sure the careers will want her to join the pack. She is matched with a small pale boy named Kurt. District 10, Sunshine a very, very small girl and Blaine.

Rachel lets out a disapproving breath at District 11's girl tribute. A very tiny 12 year old, who must only weigh 60 pounds. Her name is Beth. She is matched with a hulking boy by the name of Azimio. You can see in the way that he looks at her that he will protect her with his life.

Then finally Rachel and Sam's District, 12. The seal of Panam plays along with the anthem, then the screen fades to black.

"Well," Haymitch says. "How bout we start on some dinner?" Everyone goes to the dinner table, and Rachel and Sam gorge themselves in the delicacies of the Capital. Never have they been ever to have such fine meats and dishes. Rachel feels like she may explode with the overwhelming amount that's in her, but she forces herself to keep it down. Knowing that if she can keep down the pine tree bark she sometimes ate when food was scarcer then normal, she can keep down this meal.

"So what can you two do huh? Anything?" Haymitch demands. Rachel see's that his drunken demeanor has once again taken over. She noticed how after his third glass of wine he got more aggressive.

"I can hunt." Rachel announces. She instantly turns a little red when all eyes fall upon her.

"Oh really? How so?" Haymitch asks obviously skeptical about her abilities.

Sam speaks up, for what might be the first time since the reaping this morning. "She can, my dad eats the squirrels she shoots, always comments on how it goes right through the eye, never anywhere else."

Rachel peers at him. "What are you doing?" she asks. He's taken a back. "Well you're good. Don't hide it now." he says. She nods at him, agreeing.

"Yes, I can hunt fairly well." She tells Haymitch.

"Snares?" he asked. Rachel nods. He looks at Sam. "What about you, boy?" he asks gruffly.

"Well, I'm strong I guess." He says, unsure of himself.

Rachel chimes in, "he's the son of the baker, of course he's strong, he can lift the bags of flour and trays of bread." Haymitch looks at Sam who's nods in confirmation.

"Well alright then. Looks like were going to have some fun here." he says drunkenly. "But first we got let the stylists mangle ya."

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><p>Wincing as the women with light blue skin rips off another strip of her leg hair, she turns to the side to hide her face. "Last one." She assures. Rachel braces and bites hard on her bottom lip as the wax coated paper rips against her skin. She relaxes more, until the three stylists are plucking hair from all over her body. It makes her feel bare and vulnerable.<p>

Finally, her stylist comes in, introducing himself as Cinna. She notices how different he is from the rest of the capital people. He has no alterations and only light gold eyeliner above his eyes. "okay, Rachel, let's make you unforgettable."

Unforgettable indeed. Being turned into a human flame was the last thing on Rachel's mind, she was more concerned about being naked. But apparently District 12 is a big hit. The next day they start training, she's nervous for this. This will be the first time that all the tributes will be in the same room, all dressed the same, and all on the same ground level.

The first thing that worries her is almost everyone is bigger then her, mostly in length, but also in weight. District 12 has so many disadvantages, the main one being they are nearly almost always on the brink of starvation.

She starts off training by picking simple things. Haymitch said to steer clear of archery, being that she told him last night that is what skill she used to hunt. He said to keep her talent a secret. Sam was also to stay clear of weights.

She picks the knot tying station. The expert is very happy to see her, they don't get much attention as say other stations, like where children are throwing spears.

She ties a few simple knots at ease, but when it gets to tying ones that would actually be of use, she struggles. She groans slightly when she pulls the knot only for it to crumble instantly.

"You have to loop it around twice." The voice says next to her. She turns to see the tribute boy from District 4. He's much taller and bigger then she would've expected. He takes the knot from her hand, not even meeting her eyes, and ties it easily. He unties it and hands it to her. She looks into his hazels and he smiles at her. "Well go ahead." He chuckles.

She gives him a small smile before trying to knot, using the method Noah used, and getting it right. She smiles triumphantly. He takes some more rope and starts tying far more complex knots. It's as if it is calming him somehow.

"How can you do that so well?" she asks curiously.

"District 4." He says. "Fishing." He clarifies. She nods understanding. She walks away and he follows her to the next station. Edible plants. She passes this without blinking an eye. Noah seems to be failing miserably, telling the instructor that the nightlock was a blueberry.

"No, no, no." Rachel says. "These will kill you in an instant. Don't confuse them with the blueberrie's." She tells him.

"How can you tell?" he asks.

"Look here." she says. She rolls the berry over her fingers as he leans in to examine it. "Right here." she says stabbing her finger through the skin. "The inside is blood red. Blueberries are not blood red."

He nods. "So open the ones I'm not sure about first?" he asks. She shakes her head. "If your not sure don't eat it at all. Don't take the risk."

"Thanks." He says. The smile he gives her is pleasant, yet confusing at the same time. She has to keep reminding herself that she may need to kill this boy at some point. Either that or he may kill her.

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><p>She didn't think that the day the games began would seem to come so soon. They had flown threw the preparation days, the training, the costumes, the horrendous interviews she even received her training score. An outstanding 11. And now she was here, in one of the Capitals hovercrafts, on her way to the Arena.<p>

She held on tightly to Cinna's hand until the voice over the louder speaker informed her that it was time to get into the loading tube. Rachel gave Cinna a quick hug and reluctantly got in. Almost instantly it closed, giving her a feeling of being suffocated. Cinna gave her a reassuring nod, pointing to his chin, motioning for her to keep her head held high.

She did just that. The tube rose and in no time she was momentarily blinding by the sunlight, being able to smell the pine trees and feel the warm breeze against her face. Finally letting her eyes adjust she took in her surroundings just as Caesar Flickerman's voice rang out.

"Let the 74th Hunger Games Begin!"

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><p><strong>Woo short starter. Love it, Hate it? The next one will be up shortly.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Next Chapter! So this is all now from Rachel's point of view, like how it's Katniss's in the Hunger Games. It just works better. **

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><p>You have sixty seconds to stand on the silver platform. And you have to stand there for the full sixty seconds or you actually blow up. Happened a while ago to a girl when her token, a small wooden ball, fell onto the platform. They had to actually scrape her off.<p>

My breath is picking up and my eyes reach the cornucopia. Golden and perfectly arched so you can see and be tempted by all its treasures. Only a foot away from me a see a backpack. I'm thinking it will be my best bet when I see a silver bow at the very top of the cornucopia, already perfectly strung with at least a dozen arrows. I know immediately the game makers must have put it there for me. They saw what I could do in my private session with those precious arrows.

Haymitch told me to run though. The blood bath at the cornucopia is something neither me nor Sam will be able to face. It is tempting though. Those arrows, all the supplies. But I'm smarter then that. When the gong sounds I sprint to the back pack grab it and head as fast as I can to the trees.

These will provide my safety. Trees have always been where I find my safety. I'm barely aware of the blond girl from District one hurling her knife at me. I have just enough time to shield my head with my back pack, getting it lodged inside. I run further, and I'm completely concealed by the thickening vegetation.

As I get farther and farther from the cornucopia, I alternate between jogging and walking. As I am walking now I check my back pack to see what supplies I have, other then the knife I received from the District one blond. Some crackers, beef strips, plastic, sunglasses, a sleeping bag, a vile of purifying liquid, and a canteen. I open the canteen to find it bone dry, becoming more aware of my growing thirst. I need to find water.

Finding water would be easier if there were some animals around to help me find the way. However I've only seen the occasional rabbit. I continue to trek downhill into a valley. I don't particularly like traveling down hill, but I have no other option.

Cannons sound out. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Eight dead within the first hour. Only 16 of us left. I wonder if Sam made it through today. I also find myself wondering if Noah made it. He got a 10 on his training score, so either he was a first target or was taking people out left and right. I seem to hope for the second one.

My mouth is starting to get fairly dry and the more I move the more my head is starting to hurt. I think about how much distance I put between me and the careers. Though, I know no matter how much distance, it will never be enough.

It's starting to get darker out so I set a simple snare, hoping to get a rabbit or squirrel by morning. I walked at least a mile before making a camp.

I decide climbing and sleeping in trees will be my best bet. I climb the pine trees easily, getting to a one of the higher more hidden branches. I take out my sleeping bag, shoving my back pack in the bottom first, before putting my body inside. I make the decision of taking off my belt and wrapping it around me and the branch. Just in case something startles me in the night; wouldn't want to die by falling out of a tree.

The sky darkens and the Capital's Anthem plays throughout the arena. Everyone in the arena will have there eyes on the sky tonight. We know eight have died, but not who. The Anthem ends and pictures of fallen tributes begin to fill the sky.

The boy from three comes first. So the careers have made it. The girl from five. The boy from six. Both from seven. Both from eight. And the girl from ten.

I'm great full Sam made it through the first night, I also find myself happy about Noah. Even little Beth made it through the first day.

I start to drift off and eventually work my way to sleep.

A twig snaps and my eyes fly open. I remain like a stone, secured in my tree. I'm hoping the intruder won't see me when I hear more snaps. Then I come to the realization that those snaps belong to twigs that are being broken by hands. Over and over more come until I begin to smell the smoke.

Oh no. This idiot is going to start a fire in the middle of the night. They might as well scream for the careers to come and get them. All I can do is sit perched in my tree, hoping and praying that they'll go unnoticed.

A while later I hear footsteps. A group of people walking in our direction. It's only then when I hear the pleas from a girls mouth. Begging them not to kill her. Then I hear another snap, not like the ones from the twigs before. Gut wrenching. The snap of her neck. A cannon fires indicating her death, when one of the career boys shouts "9 down! 15 to go!"

They all laugh and follow him into the direction he's going. I wait at least ten minutes before leaving the safety of my tree. I find it strange that the hovercraft that picks up the bodies hasn't come yet. I go and investigate. She's still lying there, limp and motionless. She had a back pack strapped onto her back. Were the Careers really naïve enough to not strip her of her supplies?

I remove the contents of the back pack to find a single bottle of water, halfway filled. I smile and also remove the apple and knife from her pack. I take another look at the girl who just might have saved me from dehydration. I recognize her as the girl from six, Mercedes.

I take a final look at her before continuing to find a source of water, knowing this little bottle won't last so long. I'm nearly 500 feet away when the hovercraft comes and takes away her body. I take small sips of the water before I go to check the snare I left last night. In it, is a squirrel. I retrieve it, and in no time have gutted and cleaned it. I start to eat and it settles my grumbling stomach.

It takes a while to find the water but eventually I come across a stream. I fill up my canteen and put the correct amount of purifying liquid inside. I wait a half an hour before I can finally drink it. Over the next hour or so I drink at least 2 gallons. I feel so much more refreshed and ready to go. After I finish eating the rest of my squirrel, I decide I should rest in a tree, being as I'm starting to be overcome with fatigue.

Just as I begin to start climbing a local pine tree a hear a unfamiliar whizzing sound. Followed by a crash. I can smell the fire, see the smoke, but it takes me a minute to realize that there are flaming fire balls headed in my direction.

The tree next to me is hit and starts to burn. I take off sprinting away, only to be met with more fire balls. They whizz by then smash! crash into something and set it ablaze immediately.

I jump over a burning log, praying I get out of the game makers area of destruction soon. From watching previous games I know that only certain areas are rigged with game maker attacks, if I could only get out of the area, I could be safe. It could also lead me into a pit of venomous snakes, but I focus on the right now.

Another fire ball flies by my head and I feel the burn against my scalp. I rub it away instinctively, feeling my some of my brown hair singe in my hand.

The smoke starts to cloud everything, including my lungs and my thoughts. I keep running though, and I eventually think I am in the clear. Another fire ball whizz's by and I think it's the end, but in actuallity it skids across my calf.

I automatically try to put out the flames with my hands, but I just burn them. I cry in pain and roll on the ground, hoping to stop the fire. Eventually the fire is out, but the heat doesn't go away. I have to get up though. The smoke is too much, it's making me want to turn my insides inside out. I stumble up, limping in pain, trying to escape the thick fog.

My minds racing to the so many different ways I could die right now. Smoke inhalation, being most likely. But I'm also slow moving and hurt, if a tribute took me on now I wouldn't even be able to defend myself. They could probably just push me over and I'd just die lying on the ground for lack of will to get back up.

But I do keep going and soon the smoke starts to fade, sort of. It's getting lighter so it is much easier to breathe, which is exactly what I was hoping for.

I come across a small stream and hobble my way to it. I get down on my stomach and press my hands into the water, feeling instant relief. I wonder how bad the burn on my calf is. Can I stick it in the water? I take out my hands, rip off the cloth where it has been singed, and examine the wound.

Burned badly, yes, but not black. In the training center I begin to remember what Noah told me about burns. We were at the medical remedies station. He told me that the instructor was wrong.

_"Almost always, when you treat a burn, you put a thin coat of cool mud. This of course is only in the wild, but never the less, it will cool the blistered skin." The trainer told us. When he turned to help some other tributes, Noah turned to me._

_"Don't do that. You'll get it infected. What he was really saying was if you're gonna get burned in the arena he knows you're gonna die." He said shaking his head at the man who had just tried to persuade us into his methods. "You need to find the green leaf, I don't remember what it's really called, but we call it "se enfria". It means to cool." His voice rang in my head_.

I tried to recall exactly what Noah said, it was a very small green leaf, had a streak of blue on the back. It smelled faintly of mint. I looked around, but everything was still fogged by the smoke. Plus, I didn't even know if the game makers put this plant in here, most likely they'd want us to use the mud and die of infection.

I shook my head, no infection wasn't a bloody gory mess. Infection was boring.

I eventually got the courage to dip my calf in the stream. "Oh" I sighed quietly. The cool water felt great against the charred skin. I also began to notice my thirst. I filled up my water bottle, purified it, then drank it, before making another to take with me. I needed to leave my seemingly safe place soon. No doubt other tributes were nearby when the fiery explosions went off; to most definitely draw us together. I ate one of my crackers, settling my stomach, and put my supplies back into my bag. I drew my knife, as a precaution, though I knew it wouldn't do much good with my weak state.

I had just taken my leg out of the pool when a nearby branch snapped under large feet. Followed by many more, and coughing. I forced myself to get up quick, trying my best to jog to a tree. I made it and had just climbed about 30 feet up when the careers burst through the trees.

"Finn! You saw her right? Where'd she go?" the blond, Quinn, said. I recognized her as the one that threw the knife at me on the first day. Her voice cut through me like ice. She sounded so powerful; I'd be lying if I said I wasn't frightened just by her tone. It also didn't help that I saw what she could do with knives in the training center.

"I said I thought I saw her you whining bitch." he snapped back. "I saw a skinny girl with brown hair, s'it Quinny. That means it could've been the hot latina or Rachel." They were looking for me? I know I received an 11 on my training score, but is that enough reason to hunt me down?

I was also shocked by the amount of force that left the tall boys mouth. He was so awkward at the training center and in his interviews. But I knew the games could change a person, unless he was playing the awkward card at the capital, which is more likely.

But all my thoughts focus to the shining silver in Quinn's grip. My bow and arrows.

"Fuck you." She spat back. Her opposite male tribute spoke up, "Both of you stop. Listen you morons." He ordered. The five people I can see all stop. The district one boy, Dave, speaks directly to me.

"Tree climbing huh? That's your talent?" he laughs loudly. The others peer into the tall pine to find me, most smirking when they do. I can see the other blond girl, from 3, whispers to Sugar, "Where is she."

Sugar snaps her head at her. "Can it Britt." she spits.

I'm frozen in fear but am suddenly outraged that she took my bow. She can throw knifes like no tomorrow, of what possible use does she have a bow. This makes me speak down to them.

"Nope, one of many, why don't you come up here and find out about them?" I smirk. I know they can't come up my tree. They're all much too big. David tries and falls backward after a branch snaps, and when Quinn tries she's smart enough to stop only a quarter of the way up.

"Oh, whatever!" she draws out. "She can't stay in that tree forever." She laughs. The others agree, setting up a camp right under her.

I climb higher, until finding a branch that fits my size. Just as I begin to relax I see a pair of eyes staring at me, I begin to think they are a raccoon, but the human features are undeniable.

I'm worried the mystery person will attack when I see one of her fingers point up. I follow it to see a nest, a wasp nest. I look back at her to see that it is the girl from four. Santana.

An idea hits me, if I saw the branch I may be able to drop it on the sleeping careers. I look back at Santana and do a sawing motion in the air. She nods and vanishes. The trees in the distance start moving. Is that was she did in the training center? Swung on ropes and never letting her feet touch the ground? She only got a 9, she deserved at least an 11.

I realize that in order to saw through the nest I'll need to wait for the Anthem to play. I grab my knife and begin to scale the branches. This itself can be dangerous because they can't support as much weight as the onew lower down. But I manage. The nest is perched perfectly on a thin branch, the wasps are sedated from the smoke; the only good thing that must've come from the fire storm.

The Anthem blares and I begin to saw. This hurts. So very much. The blisters on my hand slit open but I continue to saw until there is just a little left. I go back to my branch to find a single silver parachute.

I open it hoping for food, when instead I find a cream. I open and smell, it is exactly what Noah said it would smell like. I rub it on my calf and hands sighing very quietly to myself. "Thank you Haymitch." I whisper. The burns are nearly gone now, so I begin to drift into sleep.

But not for too long. The sun is just beginning to rise which means so will the careers. I'll need to do this very quick. I pack my things, put them on my back and scale the tree back to the nest. The wasps are more active, but still lightly sedated.

I saw through, causing some to wake, feeling a pinch on my knee. One has found me and there may be many more to come. I saw the end and it falls downward, snagging momentarily on a branch, before cracking open on the ground.

And that's when the screaming starts. Quinn's up first, yelling for them to get up. They do and Karofsky and Finn take off the lake, hoping the water will provide them protection. Sugar is a slow waker, getting stung too many times before falling helplessly into some shrubs. Brittany is sprinting after the boys to the lake while Quinn thrives and spazzes on the ground.

When the deadly wasps seem to have vanished I get down the ground quickly and pry my bow and arrows from Quinn's grip before sprinting in the opposite direction of the careers. Two cannons go off and I'm running so fast I nearly plow right into him.

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><p><strong>Yep more to come! lol<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3!**

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><p>I have just enough time to raise my bow and see that Noah has his hands up, a universal surrender. "Woah girl slow it down." He says. This is the moment where I see if I can trust him in here. To see that he hasn't become a brute less killer.<p>

He starts to move at his back when I get ready to send the quiver through his adam's apple. "Stop!" he says holding his hands back up. "I'm just taking off my backpack." He assures. I nod, letting him, but still ready to kill. He takes it off doing a 360 for me. He has no weapons. I slowly lower mine. He sighs in relief and comes closer.

"Jesus, Rach, I never thought you'd let up." He admitted giving me one of his smiles. I laugh a little, walking forward.

"Sorry, you just can't trust anyone." She replied. He nodded, knowing it was the truth. His eyes land on my calf.

"You were in the fire storm?" he asks. I give a seldom nod. "I saw it, I was up in a tree way up there." he says pointing above a mountain of sorts "It was like they were just falling from the sky."

I nod because I cannot think of a response. "So where are you headed?" he asked. "Or what were you headed from, babe?"

I ignore the babe jibe and answer his question. "I dropped a wasp nest on the careers." I tell him, I chuckle at his surprised eyes. "Quinn and Sugar are dead."

He smiles. "Great I hated that blond bitch." I laugh a little too loudly, forgetting where we are. He notices and slings his back pack over his shoulder. "Let's go." He says. I don't even hesitate when I follow him.

"Santana helped me. She saw the nest above my head." I say a little while later. He looks at me skeptical.

"Santana? My Santana?" he asks in disbelief. "Santana I-can-cut-you-in-half-my-eyes Lopez?" he says. I nod as a shoot down a running squirrel. He picks it up removing the arrow and handing to me.

"Can you gut it?" I ask. He nods. "Yes, Santana, she was sitting in my tree, must've heard the careers before I did."

He's frowning as he strips the animal. He cuts me off a piece and I take it gladly. "I can see that. She can fucking fly through trees. I've seen her do it on the palms we got back home."

"Palms?" I ask. He nods. "Yeah ain't never seen this shit before, except on tv." He says pointing to all his surroundings. He takes a bite from the squirrel, moaning in pleasure. "Haven't eaten in a day." He explains.

"We have these pines in District 12. And some others, like oak and red woods." I say. He just nods but I know he has no more of a clue what I'm talking about then we he talks about "Palms". Whatever those are.

A cannon sounds and I jump. Followed by another. It means the careers are back on track and hunting us off one by one. I haven't noticed I stopped until Noah comes back to where I am and places one of his hands on my back. It feels good there. I look up at him and he's giving me a sad smile. "Come on; lets keep moving."

Night eventually dawns and we climb a big oak tree. He lays in the branch next to me as we wait for the dead tributes to show on screen.

The Anthem fades and we see faces. The girl from 9, Lauren. And the boy from 10, Blaine. Sam's still surviving out there, along with Beth. This comforts me. Even though I want to win, I'm pulling for her.

We laid quiet in the branches until I can here Noah in a barely audible voice. "You think we have a chance, Rach? At surviving this shit?"

I'm not quite sure what he's asking exactly. "Well we can't both survive." I state matter-o-factly.

"I won't kill you." He says. I start to think it's a joke but I hear a small, "I promise." I can't help it when I reach out to grab his hand. It's now becoming my lifeline of support as he squeezes back reassurance and promise.

It kills me inside to know that this won't last very long. Soon he'll be dead, or me, even both of could be dead within days. It makes me hold his hand tighter, hoping and praying for the both of us.

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><p>The first thing I notice is that I'm face down on the ground and my head is throbbing. So is my chest. I glare at the sunlight and slowly raise myself up, wondering what happened. Did I actually fall out of the tree? I rub the back of my head, feeling a trickle of blood run over my fingers.<p>

Noah's walking towards me with two eggs he must have stolen from a nest. "Morning." He says. He hands me an egg and I take it, still dazed.

"Noah, did I fall out the tree?" I ask him. He chuckles. "Wouldn't know. You were in the tree when I left, so…" he smiles.

I shake my head. "Never have I ever fell out of a tree." She laughs.

"If I had a shot, I'd take one. Fell out of one when I was getting bananas. I was 12." He laughs. I smile and sit at the base of the tree. I notice that my bow, arrows and back pack all managed to fall out of the tree with me. I grab them and set up my bow next to me, just to feel secure. I suck the insides out of the egg gratefully.

He sits down next to me, a little closer then most normally would. "You look cute in the morning." He admits. "You're less tense." He explains. I just look at him. He shrugs as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

The trees start rustling and someone emerges from the shadows. "Noah, good to see ya." Santana smiles. She has a sack of slung over her shoulder, a homemade bandage around her wrist and some grain in her mouth.

"Satan," he greets. He looks at me then back at her, "heard you met her in the trees." Santana shrugs shamelessly. "Did you stick around to see what happened?" Noah asks her. She shakes her head with an eye roll, walking closer. She's limping lightly.

"Naw, but I caught the deaths at night. So we only got 3 careers left to deal with, plus there little pet. Our chances are getting better every day." She laughs. She sits cross legged on the ground, pulling out some dried fruit.

"They're little pet?" I ask.

Santana nods, mouth full, saying, "Little Beth. Got wrapped up in them. I think they needed her for something. I can't imagine what though, District 11 is agricult-" she's cut off from the boom of a cannon. She rolls her eyes for what seems to be the twelfth time in the five minutes we've been talking.

"I thought Beth would be smarter." I mutter. Surprisingly it's Noah who comes to her defense right away.

"She's is smart. She wouldn't have been able to survive out there without some kind of help. The careers weren't her best choice, but she isn't dead yet." He pauses remembering the cannon. "Well maybe."

I shrug. "You're right. She was smart. They've got all the supplies no doubt."

"Oh they do." Santana says. "I've spied on them time and time again. They have some sort of trap guarding their food, along with Beth. They have enough time to go out, kill one of us, and be home for dinner." She said with disgust. No one liked the careers. Though they always seemed to win.

"Let's change that." I announce. They two look at me quizzically. "I mean, it is the hunger games, why can't they be hungry." I smirk. Santana's eyes gleam with delight.

"What do you say Puck?" she says to Noah. I guess it must be a nickname. The mischievous grin that passes over his defined face tells us that he's in. Santana laughs. "So Rach, what's the plan." She asks.

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><p>Me and Noah are nearing the camp so our already hushed words become even quieter. We come to the cracked wasp nest and I point. He nods, giving me an approving smile. We break through the bushes just as the Anthem begins to play. I swear, I've been singing this thing in my sleep. We glance at the sky to see that the boy from 9 died this morning, Kurt, I recall.<p>

The seal of Panem appears and then the sky goes black. Tonight's the first night I realize there has never been any stars in the arena. I love the stars; they guide me home. Noah's strong hand squeezes my shoulder, and pulls me from my thoughts.

This is where we need to split up. He comes down to put his mouth to my ear, tickling it with his whisper. "Whatever happens, promise me you'll win?" he says. I nod. He smiles at me and gives me a light kiss on the forehead. I'm glad it's dark so the cameras that are trained on us cannot see my blush.

He walks away quietly, not even making a sound against the leaves. Soon I'm completely alone, I check my bow, and get it ready. I crawl under some bushes until I can visibly see the career camp. Finn and Dave are arguing. Brittany is sitting on the ground, fiddling with a stick. Beth is sitting on her crate, her eyes trained on some fixed position.

"No! She killed her! She killed Quinn too! We needed them! Of course I want to go out and finish her myself." Finn's voice boomed.

Dave looked like he was either going to beat the crap out of him or stomp his foot. "We are not going." He growled. Finn was just about to retort something to him when he noticed the fire Santana had set.

"It's her." Finn said. "Let's go!" he yelled at Brittany. She grabbed the knife that she had lodged into the earth before following him, Beth hopped off her crate, trailing behind.

I'm about to reveal myself when a cannon goes off. I'm worried about Santana but there is no way they got to her in that amount of time. And Noah is in the other direction. I wonder if Finn killed David. It looked like he really wanted to.

I wait about 10 minutes before finally deciding on what to do. I get out of my hiding spot and walk through the career camp. The food seems to be all in one area, easy enough to burn. But there's something next to the food, the metal plates? The platforms from the beginning? I wonder why they would put their camp here.

Then it hits. Little Beth received a 9 in her training scores. I think of how she must have done something with wires, briefly remembering seeing her doing quite well at that station in the training center.

She rigged the platforms.

I walk backwards, nervous. Would they explode? Would only one if I hit it? Or would they all go off. I see that the second fire is lit. The careers may have caught on that it was a trap. I don't have time to think much through.

I get out three arrows. I aim them at the sack of apples hanging from a tree. The first slices through some of the rope, the second beginning to rip open the bag, the third let's some apples begin to tumble out, until the whole thing falls.

Then I'm propelled backward into the air from the deafening explosion.

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><p><strong>DUM DUM DUM<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

My first thought is that I must've died. But the pain I feel all over my body tells me otherwise. I try to stand up because I know the careers will be here shorty. I'm so dizzy though I start falling over. The ground I land on is spinning. Then I realize I can't hear. It might just be worse then being blind.

I start to crawl, because I need to move. I drag myself under the brush, concealing my entire body, but letting me still be able to see the exploded camp. Fire is everywhere, with the ash lingering in the air. I smile, knowing I have succeeded. Finn bursts through the trees, followed by the others.

I'm 95 percent sure he rips his hair out with his hands. Everyone stares at him waiting. Beth looks frightened, she knows she's done her job was done too well. This occurs to Finn just as she begins to run away. He catches her and snaps her neck. I'm glad at this moment that I can't hear anything, but I cover my mouth to hide the scream.

He just murdered a little girl in front of my eyes. I wish I wasn't so dizzy so I could shoot him through the heart with my bow.

I then start to panic. Where's Noah? Did he make it out? Because I can't hear did I miss the cannon signaling his death? The careers eventually leave because they see that there is nothing salvageable among the destruction I caused.

It's beginning to get cold, but I have no sleeping bag. I left it with Santana. I was supposed to pick one up from their camp. Too late for that. So I suck it up, bringing my knees to my chest, and sleeping, ot trying to at least.

The morning light is barely visible through the curtain of vegetation I'm hiding under. I can hear the birds from my right ear though, which comforts me. I get out of my hiding place and after drinking some water and snacking on some mint leaves; I begin to search for Noah.

We decided if we got separated we'd meet at the wasp tree. I'm there in no time, but I can't spot him. I begin to fear the worst, but I hear rustling coming in my direction. I aim my bow, hoping that it's Finn. But it lowers immediately and I smile.

He takes the short strides towards me and pulls me into a bone crushing hug. "I thought you were dead." he muttered against my hair. I shook my head against his shoulder and neck, breathing him in.

"I thought you were gone too." I whisper breathlessly. I'm so relived that I have hot tears streaming from my eyes.

He lets me go, wiping the tears from my eyes. "They were so pissed." He says smiling ear to ear. I smile wide back at him. "Let's go find Santana."

After about 40 minutes, the ringing in my left ear stops and I can hear just as well as my right. I finally get the courage to ask Noah something.

"Did you see-" I stop, trying to find the right words. "Beth." I manage.

The expression that crosses his face tells me that he did. "If we didn't have a plan I would've killed him. Pounding his fucking head into a rock until he died." He said seriously.

"Have you killed anyone yet?" I ask curiously. Noah nods, but he obviously doesn't like that he did.

"A girl. District 10. She was smaller then you, Asian maybe. Came at me." he told me. "Didn't even know her name." he mutters.

"Sunshine." I answer back. "Her name, it was Sunshine."

We're almost to our rendezvous point to meet Santana. We make it to the area where the third fire was supposed to be lit. It wasn't though. I guess she didn't need it. "I'll get us some food." Noah says. I nod. The stream is close by so I start to fill up and clean our waters. As I'm screwing the cap I hear a scream. I wouldn't have even bothered with it if it weren't so close.

And if it didn't sound exactly like Santana's voice.

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><p>I'm sprinting, bow in hand, to the sound of her cries. "Puck! Rach!" she yells. Even the birds have seemed to quiet down over her pleas of help.<p>

"Santana I'm coming!" I scream back. I want them to know that I'm here. I want them to know that I'm close enough to end their lives. I push through to the clearing where I see her lying on the ground in a tangled mess of a net.

I've just made it two steps closer when the spear enters her right side.

The boy dies before he can even turn to run. Sending an arrow strait through his neck. In his last moments he pulls out the arrow, drowning in his own blood. The cannon fires.

I'm crouched down by Santana, maneuvering her out of the net. The spear is lodged in her stomach. I know there is nothing to do to help her. She grabs onto my hand, as if it's keeping her alive. "Did you destroy it?" she asks.

I nod rapidly. "Every last bit." I tell her. She smiles. "Good. Don't let those bastards win." she croaks. I smile tearily at her.

Noah comes to join us then, shock altering his perfect features. "Tana." He sighs. He crouches down next to me, resting his hand on her thigh.

"Noah," she breathes. He leans in closer. "Nunca cambiar mi amor" she says. He kisses her on her temple. She chokes up a bit of blood right before her eyes go blank and a cannon fires, Noah shuts her eyes for her. I lean my head on his shoulder, rubbing his back lightly. I get up though, leaving him to grieve. I could see in the way that they talked and interacted with each other that they were very close friends.

I walk over to a field not too far and start to pick some wild flowers. When I come back Puck is still kneeling, but his eyes closed and he's whispering. I think he's praying.

Without disturbing him, I set up the flowers on her body, laying her to peace. The capital has to show this, or at least they'll know I did it when they retrieve her body. Noah comes to a stand finally.

"Rest well Santana." He says. As I hold his hand I take my other and kiss three fingers to my lips before holding them out to her. Noah does the same. The ultimate sign of respect; to say goodbye to someone you love.

We walk away from her un moving body to let the hovercraft take her away. He's squeezing onto my hand quiet hard now, like he's worried he'll fall over if he doesn't hold on tighter. But I know he won't break down and cry, he'll just turn all his emotions into one. Rage.

"We have to win." He mutters under his breath. "For her. We have to."

"We can't. You, I, not we." I point out. Even though were walking closely together he manages to glare at me.

"I won't kill you." He echoes from the earlier days before. And it worries me that I know he won't. I sort of wish he would. It'd be that much easier. I know I can't kill him either. The boy I killed earlier, from District 1, that was easy. Simple as sliding my arrow perfectly through his neck. But that was also in outrage and general defense. I'm not even sure if Noah came at me I would kill him. Like I said, death would be easier.

"Well then we better hope one of the others finishes the job." I say bluntly. His hand twitches around mine.

"I'd kill anyone before they'd try." He retorts. I stop dead in the woods, dropping all my supplies. The backpack and even my bow and arrows. I take a step away from him, watching as he raises his eyebrow in confusion.

"What angle are you trying to play, here?" I sneer. "How do you expect anyone to win if you won't kill me? Huh? Or let anyone else for that matter? You know for a fact Noah Puckerman that I won't take away your life, so what are you planning on doing?" I ask. I'm so furious with him on letting me care. I barely ever care for anyone anymore. It's hard to let people in.

That's why I turn stone hard when he reaches out and kisses me. It's so unexpected, my eyes are wide as saucers. It's also my first kiss. He pulls away, his eyes searching mine for any kind of reaction. He tucks a loose strand of my hair behind my ear, running his fingers along my cheekbone.

I may surprise everyone, including myself, by leaning in for another kiss. This one we are both well aware of. My eyes are closed and I'm getting this warm tingling sensation all over my body. It makes me want to devour him. As the alternative, I thread my fingers in his short hairs, pulling him closer. His hands are just beginning to run along the surfaces of my hips when we hear a cannon, making us both jump to what seems to be a foot backward.

We sort of stare at eachother for a minute unsure of what to do. I briefly wonder if the kiss was a reaction to his swimming emotions, but for some strange reason I think it was inevitable. He finally speaks up. "We should call it a night." he breathes heavily. I nod, focusing on inhaling and exhaling.

We land upon a ginormous tree. Branches easily big enough for both of us to share, plus another. This thought makes my stomach thick, Santana's bloody body running through my head.

Just as we're getting situated the nation's Anthem begins, followed by today's many fallen tributes.

Dave's face appears first in the sky. Noah's jaw clenches. Even though we are touching, I place my hand on his thigh, resting my head against his shoulder. It seems to calm him. Which is good because we see Santana next. Followed by little Beth. I cringe. Surprisingly we then see Azimio.

"I wonder if he found out about Beth, he seemed quite protective of her." I whisper to Noah. His shoulders shrug under my head.

The final tribute in the sky is Sam. The seal shows, and the sky fades back to black. I'm unexpectedly am not saddend by his death. Well, of course I'm a little upset, but I thought maybe it would mean more since he was from my District.

"How many are left?" Noah asks in a hushed whisper. I think to myself, counting the fallen and recalling the names of those who are still alive.

"You and I. Finn, Brittany from district 3, and Mike from district 5. There's only five of us." I say lowly. It's frightening how close the games are to an end. How that in maybe just a few days all of us but one will be dead. Even more disturbing is that in less than a week, 19 have died.

I start to get that feeling I got before, warm all over. Noah kisses my hair, letting the arm that is wrapped protectively around me linger. His fingers trace the skin in between my coat and pants. It's nice to feel this close to someone. I sigh, just as the silver parachute carrying a basket lands on my lap. I open it, discovering a feast.

Noah's face seems to brighten in the darkness at the apples and cheese. There's even a two loaves of bread. I pick them up, the smell overcoming my senses and I moan in delight.

"They're still warm." I say. He laughs, breaking off a piece of the greenish colored on. He groans, letting his eyes fall closed.

"This shit's from home. The good stuff, probably from local bakery." He tells me. He swallows. "At least I hope it is, every things always better when it's the original."

I take a bite of the other bread, saving the greenish one for him. I sigh happily at the taste. Warm, soft on the inside, faintly harder on the crust. It might be the best bread I've ever had. I close my eyes like Noah had before to savior each bite. I feel something press against my cheek. It's the tip of Noah's nose, then his lips. It makes me blush happily.

It's sad to say I don't even care about the Hunger Games. How that we both simply cannot live. It doesn't matter to me right now though. Right now all I can think about is being as close as possible to this human being. To eating well, and enjoying the presence of someone I care about. Because for right now, it's all either of us can hope for.


	5. Chapter 5

**\Okay sorry for the wait, long ass three day weekend. And did anyone see how edible Mark Salling looked at the golden globes? Like holy hell i nearly died. And Lea? Fan Fucking Tastic dress. Super hot. Anyway, story time :)**

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><p>It's been three days. Three way to easy days. I know that back at the Capital the people are getting more and more blood thirsty. It's been too long since one of us has died.<p>

I wonder who will die next. Mike? Finn? Brittany? Me? God forbid, Noah? It's only a matter of time. No doubt Finn and Brittany are still out there hunting as a team. But technically so are me and Noah. If they were to attack, right now, as I'm perched against this tree watching Noah cook our meal, I think we could take them. Would we be injured? No doubt. But I also think we can stand a fair chance.

I'm slightly worried about Mike. From what Noah told me about the first day, he stayed behind to fight for supplies, Mike was a vicious killer. Noah said that he killed at least 3 people in the short amount of time he was there. He is quite brutal with an axe. I wonder how he obtained that skill; District 5's specialty is power or electricity.

I've seen Finn's sheer force, cringing as the image of little Beth's broken body appears in my mind. I'm not sure what to expect out of Brittany. She's a career, I know that, and that she carries around a knife. She can't be as skilled as Quinn was and she does look a little… spacey. I'm not too worried about her as an opponent.

"Rach?" Noah calls out. I tear my thoughts away and smile at him. He's holding up a stick with pieces of the rabbit I shot earlier attached to it. He hands me one as a sit on the ground next to him, positioning my bow at the ready, just in case.

We eat in silence, listening to the mocking jays whistle and sing tunes throughout the forest. We finish our meal and begin to gather what few things we have. We need to move on, covering our fire in case anyone should cross our path.

"When do you think the game makers are gonna step it up?" Noah asks, smirking my way. Over the past days we've come to know each other well. Little quirks, facial expressions. His right he is telling me that he's mocking the Capital.

I shrug the shoulder that is holding my backpack. "Soon most likely. It's been too long. I wonder though, if maybe the others are up to something? The people might be so caught up with that they aren't wondering what we're up to." I suggest.

He scoffs. "As if. Two star-crossed lovers at the Hunger Games and you're telling me people are forgetting us? Come on Rachel, even I'd be interested in this storyline." he jokes.

I laugh lightly because it's true. There's never been a case in the games where two people fell for one and other romantically. Ever. And not to mention the different district detail. That's 73 years of blood and gore and no passion. This year there's a change.

Sure there were alliances in the past that were very deep rooted. Brother and sister entered into the games, in my opinion that years ballet was most definitely rigged, and best friends etc. But they move on, or died and didn't have to worry about grieving.

This actual eases me. If I die, I won't have to suffer the loss of loosing him. I won't have to go back to District 12 and live in the big victor's house at the end of the road all by myself. I'm an only child. My mother's an alcoholic. I'm sure she doesn't even know I'm in the games. Hell, she might think _she's _in it.

But dying. That seems so much easier.

If it weren't for Santana. She basically told me to win. Well to make sure the careers didn't. So I have to fight, at least until they're all out of the way. I think about that little girl Noah hugged the very first day I saw him on the television. His little sister. He has someone to go back to. He has a reason.

There's a rustling and we both come up short. Noah retrieves his knife, putting his back at mine as I ready my bow. There's a stumble, a drawn out moan. We wait. Panting. Still nothing.

We hear the strangled sound before we actually see him. And even then, there isn't much to see. Mike Chang from District 5 stumbled out from the tree line and right in front of us. I was ready to attack, but he fell to his knees, then to the ground. I had to register that there was a large amount of blood pooling from his neck. His hand was gripping it tightly but it was obvious that he was a goner.

"They're close." Noah whispers. I almost forgot he was there; I was so wrapped up in all that red. The blood.

He has to pull me with him at first, the cannon goes off, and then we're running. Sprinting really. My legs and arms are pumping, faster then Noah's to keep up, but I stay with his pace. I hear it first. I start picking up my sprint and Noah catches on, either hearing it too or trusting my instincts.

Either way we are being followed.

We burst through the trees and suddenly we are back at the Cornucopia. We slow a bit, realizing we were actually walking in circles for days and drawing closer then farther to it, but then regain our composure and sprint to the entrance. I hope it will protect from the fight that's bound to happen.

I watch the knife that whizzes perfectly past Noah's shaved head. So she can throw almost as well as Quinn; Quinn wouldn't have missed.

I hear Finn's voice boom through the empty field telling us that we're going to pay. For what, I don't know, but it doesn't faze us as we keep running.

"How far?" I ask Noah breathily. He glances back then turns to me.

"Enough. Shoot them."

I immediately draw an arrow from the pouch on my back and string it. It flies directly towards Brittany. She dodges, but not fast enough. It lodges into her chest and she falls backwards. I start to prepare my second one but Finn hurls a spear that he was carrying towards me. A cannon fires. Noah grabs me in enough time to pull me away.

He's weaponless and approaching fast. I start to shoot another when a growling sound, loud and powerful, stops all three of us. It' followed by another, and another. One by one the creatures come out of the trees. Wolf-like but on all fours, snapping their dripping muzzles.

"Cornucopia. Now." I rush. We take off again, Finn no doubt following, but also the loud paws of the creatures. Or most likely mutants made in the Capital. I reach it the same time as Noah and he hoist's me up. Once up there, I grab his hand and pull him up too. Finn reaches, and I would've killed him, but the mutants are here too. Some of them are jumping up and trying to reach us.

I shoot two, easily. The third jumps and I notice its eyes. I fly my arrow at it, and it hit's the ground.

"Noah. The eyes." I stutter. The one I shot, just then, had the eyes of little Beth. Finn manages to get to the top and he sprawls out, heaving heavily. I shoot another. Quinn's eyes.

Some of the wolf like creatures are clawing at the golden metal of the structure, growling in frustration. I let myself take a long breath. "The eyes." I finally repeat. "They can't be… they won't be?" I questioned.

"It isn't them. Can't be." he assures. We lock eyes long enough for me to know that he's being as honest as he can be.

Another one of the mutants bellow decides to jump up again, but I shoot it. As the arrow hits its furry shoulder I catch a gasp in my throat. The creature falls with Santana's painful eyes watching us both. I peer over the edge to see the rest of the animals are not as eager to pursue us.

I forget that we haven't exactly escaped danger a minute too late. I feel Finn's arms clasp around my body and I let out a scream. We're at the edge of the Cornucopia, Finn's body behind mine, holding me tightly against him. I'm pretty sure a hear Noah growl.

"Noah-" I say.

"Shut up! You don't get to do the talking you bitch. Make a move Puckerman and I throw her over." he warns. I glance down at the waiting mutants, knowing that he isn't bluffing. Finn thinks killing me will distract Noah enough for him to finish him off. It's a good plan, I can only hope it doesn't work.

There's eeriy silence that passes over all of us. What's next? Who will make the next move? Finn does. He strengthens his grip around my neck and I choke slightly. And of course, it begins to pour out buckets of rain from the sky.

He's holding me tighter and I have this weightless feeling but also as if I'm trapped under water. Swimming and swimming but never reaching the top. A lightning bolt flashes across the newly darkened sky. The game makers want to mess with us even more. Make everyone's final death even more exciting. Watch the star-crossed lovers last moments.

No. I refuse to believe this is it. It can't be. My eyes are getting glassy as I watch Noah, standing powerful, gripping his knife in the rain. His clothing is stuck to his body and an un-mistakable scowl has taken over his face.

"Please." I whisper. I hear Finn's darkened laugh.

"You gonna make a move bro? You just gonna let your lady die? Right here? You ain't even gonna let her win? Huh boy?" Finn spews sadistically.

Noah's face contorts, pure utter rage. In my last moment, as I'm being pulled into darkness, I think of something. I trace an X on the back of Finn's hand. Hoping to god Noah will understand.

Finn looks down to the spot and back at Noah. But not fast enough. He has already thrown the blade, its already been lodged in his flesh. He stumbles backwards just enough to slip on the wetted surface. I start to fall with him but Noah grabs me just in time for me to turn around and watch the mutts attack.

He draws my face away and pulls it to his, crashing his lips against mine. I feel like I'm suffocating again, but this time it feels great, the wonderful kind of breathlessness that the girls at school were always talking about. Another cannon goes off and we tear away, realizing the inevitable.

We are the last two. We are it. There can only be one victor. Who will die? Me? Him?

A silver parachute falls directly in between us. We look at each other, then he swiftly picks it up. He tears it open, frowning.

"Huh." he huffs. He looks confused. "I thought we couldn't eat these."

He shows me what he has in his hand. I find myself smiling. "Nightlock." I tell him. He doesn't quite understand. "They're poisonous, remember?" I continue. His eyes soften and he nods.

"You want to?" he asks.

I nod. "There isn't another option." He hands me some, kisses me again then lets out a sigh.

"I think I'm in love with you." he admits.

I smile broadly, linking the hand that doesn't have the berries with his. "I love you to." I breathe. It feels good to finally let this small burden off my chest. To know that he feels the same way about me, to know that we can't live without one and other. He smiles back, wide, sparkling hazel eyes. "You ready?" I ask.

He squeezes my hand quite hard, like after Santana had died. A final kiss, small yet powerful. "Bring it."

I let out a shaky breath and toss the berries into my mouth at the same time as Noah. I'm about to chew when Caesar Flickerman's voice booms over the arena.

"Wait! Wait! The winners of the 74th Hunger Games are Noah Puckerman and Rachel Berry!" he shouts hurriedly.

I spit them out along with Noah, both of us frantically wiping our mouths. "Did you swallow any?" he asks me. I shake my head, perching an eyebrow at him while I wash out my mouth with my water. He shook his head too, smiling. And then there's the hovercraft, the one that brought us here, the one the takes away the dead, and now that takes us. The victors.

They pull us up, but on two separate latter's. His smile fades into panic and I scream because I can't watch him go, can't lose him in some evil Capital tricks. There has never been two winners, the officials cannot like that one bit. He can't hear me though, I can't even hear myself. I faze up onto the hovercraft, immediately thriving and yelling out for Noah. I claw out someone who grabs me by the shoulders.

"Stop it sweetheart, he's fine." Haymitch tells me sternly. Haymitch. I actually hug him because he got us out of the arena. The berries, he must've known about them. And for some reason when he tells me Noah will be just fine, I believe him.

"Where? Where is he going?" I rush. I feel tears in my eyes, and my body is shaking.

"Same place as you honey, recovery." He says. My eyes widen in confusion and I feel a stab in my right arm. A woman injects me with something and I begin to yell again, but I'm pulled into the deepest darkness a person could possibly melt into.

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><p><strong>Next chapter is pretty hectic and lots of Puckleberry lovin'. Peace out readers.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

I know you guys were probably expecting a next chapter, but I haven't been able to write anything at all for the past couple of weeks. My best friend is going through something extremely hard right now so please just bear with me on this. I really hope you can keep with the story even though it might take a while for it to come back for a new chapter.

Lots of Love :)


	7. Chapter 7

**ugh i made a slight mistake about the announcer, it's Cluadius Templesmith, not Caesar Flickerman. But hey, whatever. Any way, here's the story finally! **

**AND WHO ELSE HAS THERE MIDNIGHT TICKETS FOR THE HUNGER GAMES ALREADY? hahaha I'm so pumped! Thank god it's only 24 days away! The coutdown begins!**

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><p>I don't know how long I fall in and out of consciousness. Hours? Days? Weeks? Months? It feels like an eternity. Every time I wake up I start thrashing because of the restraints. The smell of the antiseptic makes me feel like I'm under going some surgical tests.<p>

But one day, I wake up, the restraints are gone. I'm alone in the small empty room. Naked, on a cold metallic table. There are clothes set on the edge. Light brown pants and a black long sleeve shirt with slightly proactive undergarments. I end up just getting changed to cover my vulnerability.

I fix my hair back into my braid and notice my hands. Scar free. I tie it off then continue to stare. I remember exactly where the crescent moon scar was right along my thumb. I caught it in one of my first snares.

I ignore this and stand up, feeling much more stronger then I recall being. Much more balanced and healthier. It's odd to stand on my own two feet and feel sturdy. I see the combat boots, my own actually, laying perfectly on the ground. I slip them on, feeling just a bit closer to home.

Then I remember. Noah, being dragged away, that I won the games, we won, escaped. It's like bad déjà vu coming at me full force. A wave of worry, hate and panic seemed to flood me all at once.

I sprint to the door and swing it open, revealing a vacant hallway. Doors are aligned along each wall, closed, no windows. One of these holds Noah. I take the first step out of my room when the door directly across from mine opens. Haymitch. He can help.

"Where's Noah?" I ask.

"Safe. He's here, come on lets get you to ground level." He answers. He pulls me by the arm and leads me to an elevator. Ground level? And suddenly it makes me feel like I'm suffocating.

The elevator ride lasts less than seconds, shooting us up. I watch the lights click until finally the doors swing open and I'm back in the same quarters I had before the Games. I step out hesitantly, a part of me is waiting for some sort of attack.

Effie Trinket appears, bright and cheery. It takes all I have in me to not shove her to the ground when she gives me a tight hug and praise me for my victory. She does let go and her smile is spread too widely over her pale covered face.

I'm looking for him, everywhere, but I know he wouldn't be here. This is District 12's quarters, not his.

Cinna and my prep team greet me next, actually making me feel better to my surprise. They talk and chatter about the games, where they were when things happened. "Oh I was brushing my teeth!" Octavia said. "My flower arrangements had just arrived!" said another. Somehow with them making the games about them, it drew the attention away from me. It made me block out some of the terrible memories and events; made me focus more on my odd little band of a team.

When they clear out to leave Cinna alone, I let out a long sigh. He chuckles. "Oh, darling, I know. He's fine." he assured. I wish people would stop telling me that.

"Yeah." I responded. I let him strip me of my clothes until I'm in my undergarments. He gives me an odd look about them.

"You think they could be less obvious." he mutters, walking over to where he has laid out my outfit for my final interview. Something I'm quite worried about. We have to review the games, watch them die again, and again.

"About what?" I ask.

"They expect you to seduce him now that you're both in love. Make beautiful babies that they can throw into the games." he sneers. I feel that panic again. I know how true his statement is, well at least about my future children. But I can't allow it. I decided it so long ago not to bear any kin, but now with me as a victor, there is no doubt that they'd end up in the games. Victors children always go, just to add to the "fun".

"I'm not having children." I say sternly.

He sighs. "Honey, I wish it were that easy." I can't ask him what that means because next he's telling me that I need to get changed. He works the fabric around my body effortlessly until stepping back to admire his work. He has given me a simple dark green dress that cuts above the knee. It seems to sparkle when it moves, changes color to light and dark really.

It resembles Noah's eyes.

"It's perfect." I whisper, staring at my dolled up body in the mirror. I have on no makeup, Cinna said he wants the people to see me. Not a victor, a brutal killer. Just a girl. He has me wear black ballet flats, tying my whole innocent thing together.

There's a knock, and the door comes open. Haymitch is there, waiting to escort me to the stage. People must be absolutely buzzing about him, he brought me home after all.

He brings me out and we walk through a plethora of hallways and down stairs until we seem to be under the stage. I can hear the people of the Capital talking and conversing excitedly.

He comes to hug me again but a tickle of his whisper passes over my ear. "The Capital is pissed about the berry stunt. The only way to keep you two alive is to keep the love act going. President Snow thinks it was an act of rebellion." he pulls away, his eyes and face showing no emotion to what he just told me. I try to mirror his own.

"It wasn't an act." I say. We say nothing about the double meaning, because my answer does not clarify what I consider an "act". His face contorts into a twisted smile and he nods. "Should be easy then." he tells me. Then he stalks off leaving me alone on my platform.

Suddenly, I'm lifted up, just like I was to the arena, and I'm blinded by the lights. My focus takes over to the crowd screaming my name, but also another.

_Noah._

I look over and there he is, black buttoned up shirt rolled at the sleeves and dark jeans. His smirk looks relieved, his eyes solely on me. I can't help it when I sprint across the stage and launch myself at him. He catches me, strong and sturdy, engulfing me with his kisses. My hands press to either side of his face to draw him closer into my mouth, his hands secured at my hips.

We forget the crowd, the viewers at home, the surroundings, the danger of the berries act. We hold onto to each other for this moment in time. We don't know how much longer we'll have.

Caesar's voice is dull in the background, but his grip isn't. He literally has to pull us apart in order to keep the show going. My blush is wild, when we are pulled apart. Noah just leans down to give me a gentle kiss, smiling against me.

He leads me to love seat that replaces the usual plush chair. It looks just as inviting. He sits down first and I follow, practically sitting on his lap without actually doing it. His hand is placed securely around my shoulders while his other cradles mine in his. If this situation weren't so dangerous, I would've awed at the simple act.

But just as Caesar opens his mouth, I remember this is still a game. Say the wrong thing, boom, dead on the floor. Defy the Capital, something the both of us had already unknowing done, is big on the no-no list. Swallowing the berries was a slap in the face to President Snow. It showed that we weren't just pawns in his games, that we had emotions, feelings, passion.

"So how are you two feeling?" Caesar asked, settling in his own equally as comfortable seat. He looked at the two of us expectantly.

"Better, now." I breathed out. Noah turned to me, showing me one of his rare smiles before placing a gentle kiss on the crown of my hair. The audience actually cooed at his love for me. I even saw Caesar smile adoringly at us.

"I bet," he said, getting back to his job. "Maybe you'd like to tell us what it felt like? To be away from each other for the past few weeks?"

"Weeks?" we both asked at the same time.

Caesar nodded his tanned skinned head, not shaking away any of his dyed blue hair. "Yes, weeks." he chuckled. "The lovely fellows here at the Capital have to get you back up to your full health. Mostly a nutritional diet, exedra." he clarified. "It has been over two weeks since the games."

Noah raised his eyebrows high, looking at me and I shrugged. This information was new to the both of us.

"Well, now that we have that cleared out of the way, yet again let us start the journey that was the 74th Hunger Games!" he chanted to the crowd. The yelled back with enthusiasm. I felt Noah tense around me, I tightened my grip on his hand to let him know I was in the same place. I didn't want to see this anymore then he did. Anymore that the parents of the fallen tributes wanted to.

It started up with the reapings, flew through our opening night costumes, then replayed a few interviews, including mine and Noah's. I thought it was kind of silly to play the other tributes interviews for the crowd. It's not like the outcome could change.

They showed our training scores, all of ours. My mind was jumping at least three seconds ahead, wanting to know what would come next. Who would come next.

We were met with the sound of the gong going off, the cameras following me and Noah's different paths. The knife that Quinn threw, the girl Noah was forced to kill. I heard his breathing stop when it came up on screen, but he didn't pry away his eyes, watching little Sunshine die.

It shows our passing days. Following around mostly us, with hints of what Beth was doing and Santana. There was even a slight romance between Quinn and Finn. Who would've guessed with the way they treated each other in front of my eyes.

We see things we haven't seen before, Santana spying skillfully on the Career tributes the first night. Beth making a promise to help them with their "plan". We see Santana get into a fight with Brittany briefly, but they both end it without any casualties.

I think about her light limp in the arena, she got it from a strong kick from the blondes powerful leg. It was weird, how somehow when Brittany did it, she felt almost bad. The pain in her eyes showed she didn't want to harm the Latina.

But about a half hour later it shows her killing a small boy. So I think it might've just been Santana.

We sit through deaths we hadn't seen, or want to see. They show a fight between two people I can't recall. Not their interview or scores stand in mind. But the fight is awful, a claw to the eye here, a stab to the shoulder there. They end up both dying from their injuries. Neither of them winning the battle.

It cuts to a scene in the trees and I feel my whole body tighten. We see the boy I killed sneaking up on Santana who had fallen trap to one of his nets. I shut my eyes tightly before the spear soars through her body. I try to stay strong, for myself and Noah, but he presses my head against his chest. Trying to muffle the sounds of her death and my echoing cries from that day.

The rest flies by, other then our romantic moments. Special moments that make me sick to know that they have seen, that our entire relationship was known to the world. That every touch and brush between us, every kiss and caress, was shared with people we didn't know.

The final battle is painful to watch, but not as painful as Santana's death. I already know what's going to happen, and watching Finn fall to his death doesn't faze me. Mine and Noah's kiss afterwards sends the crowd roaring in approval, though they'd already seen it.

There's the berries, an announcement that declares us winners and we vanish. Just like that the games are over.

"Now," Caesar begins with a clear of his throat. "I, along with everyone here and watching at home, want to know exactly what you two felt the moment you realized that you loved each other."

I hesitated, but Noah didn't. "The moment I saw her in the arena. Bow in hand, ready to kill me. That's when I knew." he breathes out with a smile. "Because even if she was going to kill me I found myself wishing for her to win. Which didn't make any sense until I realized that I couldn't see her die. I had to protect her." he finished. I could hear members of the audience sighing with pleasure.

I swallowed the thick knot in my throat, reminding myself I couldn't kiss him right now, then answered. "After Santana died." I let out. Noah peered at me oddly, looking confused. "When he prayed for her and showed so much…" I sought for the right word. "friendship." I landed on. "I knew that he just a person like me and he wanted to go home as much as I did."

Caesar actually took out a handkerchief, excusing himself to dab away tears. I couldn't suppress my grin, the audience knew we were in love. President Snow had to know as well.

"Sorry." he half muttered, half laughed. "Getting a little too carried away in all this love aren't we folks?" he asked the audience. They laughed, agreeing with him. It was hard not to agree with him, he was such a likable guy. It was too bad he was just another pawn at the Capital.

"Well, that's about all the time we have." he said, chuckling when the crowd moaned in disapproval. "Until next time." he signed off.

We were ushered off stage, but I never released Noah's hand. If anyone tried they'd would probably need a crowbar.

They shoved us through a crowd and into an elevator. As soon as the doors closed, Noah's mouth was on mine.

"Fuck, I've missed you." he mumbled against my lips. I only nodded, pulling him closer and inhaling his scent. He tasted so good, but mixed with his smell that was all his own was sending my senses on overload. I couldn't control my urges when I plunged my tongue into his mouth, making us both moan at the same time. The door dinged, but we didn't hear it. His hand tangled in my hair, biting my bottom lip.

"Oh great, they'll have children by next week." I heard Cinna groan in sarcasm. We split apart, equally panting as heavily as the other. I didn't miss the sly smirk on Noah's face, so I hit him lightly on the arm only to make him laugh. Cinna bypassed the both of us and into the elevator.

He slid his hand around my waist leading me inside to our new quarters while I heard the doors close behind me. The Capital must had either realized or had complaints from both parties about our separation. This area was much more decked out in technology and had a huge kitchen. It was too bad we could only enjoy it for today and tomorrow.

Then we'd go home.

Home. Now where exactly was that? Noah's home was district four. He lives at the beach, in the sun with an ocean to his back. My home is pine trees and outdoors, the smell of coal lingering in the air.

I feel Noah's hand leave my back, only to see him fetch an apple and toss it to me to catch. I do, smiling gratefully at him while he rummages through the fridge for more food.

"No', what're we doing after this?" I ask, taking a big bite of my apple. The sweetness passes over my tongue delightfully. He turns around with half a peach already in his mouth. He frowns at me before swallowing.

"I dunno. I think we have the day off." he said. I shook my head.

"No, I meant after this. Like when we go home." I explained. I immediately saw his pained expression which let me know he'd been thinking about the same thing. "I can't lose you." I admitted barely above a whisper.

The food was all forgotten as he walked back to where I stood, encircling me in his arms. God I loved the way he felt. The strength in his arms and chest felt protective around me.

"We'll figure it out, I promise." he said. He bent down to give me a lingering kiss that still tasted like the sweet peaches. I sighed when he pulled away. "You can't get rid of me that easily." he joked. I rolled my eyes, leaning my head against his chest while he rubbed my back.

"Yeah, I could've killed you the first day I knew you loved me." I smirked.

"Oh fuck you. It isn't my fault you were all gorgeous and sexy pointing a bow and arrow at me. Seriously, that shit got me off." he laughed. The rumbling in his chest vibrated against my head and I couldn't help but join in. His laugh was very infectious. So infectious, I heard more coming into the room.

"You two are just adorable." Effie cooed. I bit my tongue on the snappy remark. Instead I offered a smile. Maybe it was Noah's presence but I did feel more at ease since he was here. "Now, you two are to report to your rooms tonight at no later then 11 o'clock. That's all we ask." she said.

"For what?" Noah asked almost too politely.

"Well you have the rest of the day to yourselves. You can't leave the building, but there is nothing scheduled for today." she smiled perkily. It was really hard not to hit her, but Noah's arm were still holding me there. "Okay, well I'll see you two lovebirds later!" she chirped. She gave a wink before clicking out of the room. We heard the elevator ding, then again.

"We're alone." I whispered happily against his chest.

"Fucking finally." he agreed. His hands traced patterns onto my back as we stood there unmoving. The silence felt wonderful compared to the loud noises from the crowd earlier today.

"What do you wanna do?" I asked him quietly.

"Honestly?" he asked. I nodded against his chest. "Relax. And do fucking nothing." he sighed. I chuckled in agreement, before pulling out of his grip.

We packed some food up in a basket, he grabbed a guitar and I found a pen and paper. We climbed to the roof, a place that seemed secluded enough from the real world. It was so nice and peaceful up there. It could be our sanctuary.

The air was just right out here, warm, but hinted with cool breezes. It felt nice, especially when it was paired with my head in Noah's lap.

After we had eaten a good amount, remembering not to gorge ourselves because of how bad the rich and expensive Capital food had made us feel, we just enjoy each others presence. Mostly I draw, while he plays soft tunes on his guitar.

We're quiet most of the time, but it's comfortable silence. We can get lost in our own worlds but still be aware of the person with us. For example right now, he's playing a familiar beat while humming the lyrics, me keeping my head on his shoulder.

"Where'd you learn to play?" I ask after the song ends. He smiles down at me, his lips barely brushing over my forehead.

"My uncle taught me, said it would get all the ladies running." he laughed. I could feel the shake of his head as he continued to play. I started to sing along with his playing quite softly.

"Your voice is beautiful." he commented. "Not as beautiful as you though." he smirked. I leaned up to match my face with his, before leaning in to kiss his lips. He was always so full of compliments and kindness that sometimes it blew me away. Plus, he did have very nice lips.

When I pulled away I let my nose rub against his, my eyes still closed. When they opened I saw that his shining hazels were staring back at me with the same intensity that he had done in the arena. Like the first time he kissed me, or the first time he said he'd love me.

He must've removed the guitar from his grip because his hands were cradling my face now, letting his breath wash over my skin before he kissed me again. Every time he touched me I felt like I was being engulfed in love or lust. It felt amazing.

I broke away, biting my bottom lip with a creeping blush. His trademark smirk was in place, ready to swoop in for another kiss.

"Noah, stop." I giggled. He didn't listen of course, peppering me with light feathery kisses that had me laughing until I was breathless. He laid down, pulling my laughing body with him. His one arm pulled me snug against his hard chest so I could hear the loud beating of his heart.

Our laughing had to eventually subside, turning into the sounds of our relaxing breathing. His fingers began stroking my back gently, making me curl up against him even more, fanning my arm out across his chest.

"Rachel?" he said.

"Yea?" I asked back.

I could hear the smile in his voice when he began to speak again. "Just remember that no matter what, I'm always gonna love you. Okay?" he said.

I smiled against him. "Of course, Noah. I could never forget." I assured. I pictured him smiling along with me in our comfortable position. I didn't ever want to leave this perfect state. Even if it meant never returning home.

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><p><strong>Lol that one was nice and juicy hahaa But besides that, rate it and what not. Thanks for the awesome subscriptions :) and the new one will be out soon. It's almost over, sadly, but it may require a sequel? <strong>

**Lots of Love ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

**OH SHIT LAST CHAPTER. lol so this is it :'(. Read on... and DID ANYONE SEE THE MOTHER FUCKING HUNGER GAMES? HOLY SHIT I DIED. and may i jsut say that i'd bang clove in a heartbeat. Hot fuckin dahm. And GALE OMG. lol sorry, back to the story.**

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><p>I feel Noah's arms wrap around my waist as I button up my dark green shirt. He kisses the side of my neck making me let out an approving sigh. He rests his head on my shoulder and I feel the light scratch of his short hair against my cheek.<p>

"I love you." He tells me. I smile, leaning my head further against his, shutting my eyes to fully feel this moment. We have no idea what's to come in the next few hours. Where will they bring us? Will we be together? Apart?

"I love you too." I say back. I can't think of anything else to tell him. Do I tell him that I'll miss him more then words can describe? I don't know if I'll have to say goodbye. The thought alone seems unbelievable. We've only gotten to love each other in such a short amount of time.

And yet, I know it was real. Every second of our relationship was as pure and truthful as could be. It only took days to realize I needed him in my life.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" he asks. The way he can read me so easily makes me smile. Not even my closest friends back home knew my true emotions. I had gotten so good at hiding them over my lifetime. But Noah, he could read me like an open book.

I leave myself from his grip to finishing getting myself ready. He stares at me contently while I wash my face over the small sink in the bathroom we shared for the night. This room alone was so luxurious and perfect for us. Thoughts of last night echo through my mind. Being able to sleep next to him, more so on top of him, without having to worry about attackers and death the entire night. It was the best sleep I had gotten in a really long time.

When I come up to dry my face I see him leaning against the door frame of the bathroom through the mirror. I dry off the water with the warm, fluffy towel before turning to face him.

"Rachel?" he says. His pained eyes hurt me, the worry behind them.

I let out a sigh. "I'm scared." I admit. "They won't tell us what will become of us, so yes, I'm nervous and frightened."

I lean my back against the cool granite of the bathroom sink, looking down at the ground, too afraid to meet his burning gaze. I hear his footsteps come forward, then feel two soft hands place on my shoulders. They rub up and down, having an instant soothing effect.

"I know, baby." He says lowly. "But even if we are apart, we'll see each other soon. We have the Victory Tour you know. And then the Quell is next year. We'll be mentors."

When he says this and brings the realization into light I start to cry. Without even questioning my motives, he pulls me into a hug to let me bury my head against him. Knowing that I'll have to come back and actually be a part of this madness of children dying every year and hearing it out loud are two completely different things. It sort of snaps everything into perspective.

"Is that what our life is going to become?" I ask through muffled tears. "A constant wait to see one and other?" I feel his lips press to the crown of my hair while his hand tightens at the small of my back.

"If it comes to that, then yes." He sighs. His breath tickles my skin with his words, but I close my eyes in frustration. The tears seem to stop so I pull away from the safety of his chest, finally meeting his eyes. I was right to not want to see them before. They mirror my own pain.

I kiss his lips, gentle but with definite power and meaning behind it. When I pull away his eyes are still closed and he breathes out a long sigh. "If it comes to that." I repeat. He nods, opening his eyes.

He looks like he's about to say something else but the door opens without so much as a knock. We hear the heels before we see her. Effie. Who else would it be?

"Ah! There you are!" she says appearing in the doorway of the bathroom. I maneuver out of the position I'm in with Noah, but he keeps his hand at my waist, his body also turning to look at her. "We shall be arriving shortly. So…come along!" she pipes. Her smile is blinding and sickening as she ushers us out of our quiet room and into the living quarters.

When we step outside I instantly regret ever listening to that woman in the first place. Avoxes are bustling around busily, doing things from miniscule tasks to preparing our feast of a breakfast. It worries me that even with the delicious smell of bacon and waffles lingering in the air, I seem to have no appetite.

Noah leads me to the dining table where it is thankfully much less crowded. Working on an autopilot, I manage to sit down and tuck my chair in. I reach out to grab Noah's hand under the table to find it already seeking mine. This actually makes me smile. Across from me, already perfectly seated, is Cinna, slouched over in his effortlessly cool manner, while he gnaws on a piece of fruit. In his other hand he seems to be staring quite hard at the newspaper. To my right, sitting at the head of the table is Haymitch. It's not even past noon and he has a glass of heavy liquor in his hand.

Breakfast is eerily quiet, the sounds of forks and knifes hitting the fine dishes only filling the air. Effie attempts to make small talk amongst us, but Haymitch tells her off, making her blushed skin get darker. I feel bad for her, but at least she stopped talking.

Eventually, one by one, everyone clears out of the room leaving only Noah and I. Cinna exits last, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder before finally leaving us alone. I actually hear Noah sigh when they're all gone.

"They like to hover." I comment. I catch his trademarked smirk out of the corner of my eye as I take another somewhat forced bite of my waffles. After I set down my fork, I reach across the table to grab the paper that Cinna had been so intensely reading.

The front page screams out at me. Pictures of Noah and I, happy and smiling with the words 'Victors of the Year' as our headline. I frown, scanning through the next pages until something catches my eye. Markings on some of the side stories from Cinna's perfectly crafted writing.

A dash here, a dot there. I wonder what it means, so I scan over the marked stories. _Cotton shortage this year, lack of couture clothes! No more shellfish for our BBQ's! Our winters may be a little cold!_

Headline after headline, marked for at least three pages. I realize that Cinna marked them for a reason, he isn't a capital snob like the rest of the people here who actually care about these headlines. I wonder why, though, that these stood out to Cinna? What do shortages have to do why anything?

A thought hits me. So hard I have to swallow the amount of shock and fear within in me so I don't instantly give myself away. Not only to Noah, but to the cameras that are most definitely on us right now.

A rebellion.

Vague memories of Haymitch instructing me to act the love part up, to show the capital and president snow that what we did was not a rebellion. Thoughts of that alone could've gotten us killed. Not even just killed, tortured in front of hungry eyes to send out a message.

"Rachel?" I hear. I glance over at Noah, his body turned to face me and his hand wrapping more tightly around mine. "What is it?" he asks. His voice sounds so innocent, something that doesn't correspond with Noah well.

"Nervous." I lie. It's partly true, my stomach is doing flip flops now that I've acquired this information. Paired with the knowledge of not knowing what's to come, I am truly nervous. I guess. The more appropriate and honest answer would've been terrified. But that would only make him worry.

His smile is gentle, and doesn't reach his eyes like they normally do. It lets me know that he feels the same. "We'll be fine." He promises. He leans over, nudging my nose a little, before he presses a kiss to my lips. I melt into almost instantly, snaking my hand up to his head to tug him closer.

It's those feelings again that I'm getting that seem to leave me utterly confused. The flip flops are there of course, but it's something else. The desire? Dare I say lust? These feelings are so knew and so forbidden in my world. Desire and lust lead to marriage and love. Those would evidentially lead to children. In my book, that is unacceptable.

So I pull away, ending it before I regret something. His smile is noticeably bigger and there's an extra hint of green in his eyes. Even though he'd say something about it not being "manly" or "badass", he looks purely beautiful. He tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear, letting the backs of his fingers graze along my cheekbone. I blush helplessly, keeping my eyes locked on his. I wonder if the love in my eyes mirrors his own.

Effie comes into the dining room them, announcing that the train is here for us. Neither one of us move at first, until finally Noah rises, extending his hand for mine to take. I do, following him to our unknown fate.

* * *

><p>"Puck huh?" I ask. I'm curled up against him on the couch, listening to the artificial fireplace crackle and the whiz of air pass the train. Noah's fingers draw lazy circles and patterns on my back while we talk. At this time of night, not even the avoxes our out and about. I guess even they have to sleep sometime.<p>

He chuckles softly and it tickles the crown of my hair. "Yeah. When I was nine I decided Noah wasn't a cool name anymore. And me, being this awesome kid that I was, needed a great name. Something that people would remember. One day my friends started calling me Puck and it's been that way ever since." He said.

I smiled at his story. "You have a lot of friends to come home to?" I asked. I was slightly worried at his answer. I was never the popular one. I was the one with the dead father and the girl who could hunt. The one that sold their parents meat, but was dangerous because of how illegal it was.

"None that really stick out." He says. I can tell he's thinking of Santana. "What about you? You must have family right?" he asks, swiftly changing the subject. I tense my body a little, but not enough for him to notice.

"My mother." I breathe. He waits patiently for me to continue. "She's a drinker. Has been ever since my father died." It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest. I've never told anyone my mother's secret. Though it wasn't uncommon knowledge that my mother sought comfort in alcohol, it was nice to finally say the words aloud.

"I'm sorry Rach." He says. "My dad left when I was real young. Right around when my sister was born. Packed up his things and left our town. Just like that." He sighed. I sit up from my position, meeting his eyes in the almost darkness. The flames dance off them, giving the impression that he's literally glowing.

"What's your sister like?" I ask. His instant smile makes me feel better. To know that there is a light at the end of this dreadful tunnel.

"She's awesome. For a twelve year old little kid, she's pretty great." He laughs. I smile along with him. "She's blonde, and has these huge eyes that look like the ocean. But the best thing about her," he pauses. "Is that she's so nice and kind and perfect. I only let her put her name in the pot once for Christ sakes."

The deep breath he lets out shows his frustration. "How many times was your name in there?" I ask.

"23." he answers. "You?"

"22." I tell him. "Seems almost strange now, huh? That we'll never have to worry about that again." And it does feel odd. That I won't have to constantly go out and hunt for me and my mother so we can live. That I'll live in one of those big houses down at the end of town with endless amounts of food and luxury. That I'll never have to worry about surviving. I frown, wondering what in God's name I'll be doing. Noah's perched eyebrow tells me he caught on.

"I won't need to hunt." I explain. "I'll be sitting in a big house, with a drunk mother, with Haymitch as my only neighbor." I say, my eyes slightly wide. Maybe Haymitch and my mom could go out together, I bet they'd make great company.

He rolls his eyes. "That's true." he says. The hand that wasn't around my back went to my thigh, rubbing the covered skin there. "I wonder if I'll be there with you." he comments.

I shrug at him. "Or I'll be at District 4 with you. What's it like?" I ask. He thinks over his answer before continuing.

"Wet." he chuckles. "My place, or I guess my old place now, was right at the waters edge. Blue as far as you could see." he smiles.

"That sounds beautiful." I say. "District 12 is nothing like that." The sad part is, that's completely true. The short description Noah gave sounds hundreds better then what's in District 12. The coal, the dust, the starvation. Everything about my District is miserable. It's so dark and dirty. District 4 sounds like a paradise.

We talk some more, mostly about childhood memories. I go off on the story of how I first learned to shoot a bow and arrow; my father taught me. He tells me about the first time he met Santana; she shoved him into a puddle. He talks about his sister some more and I talk about my dad. Even the day he died.

I want him to know everything. Want to hear everything about him. Just in case we are separated tomorrow. Just in case I'll have to wait months to see him again. Just in case.

* * *

><p>"Five Minutes." Effie announces. The train starts to slow gradually and I peer up at Noah. The look on his face is grim, could look tired if you didn't know him.<p>

We're sitting together on the same couch we were on last night. My hands holding his. My leg is bouncing with my nervousness, my breath starting to pick up. I don't even remember being this worried before the games.

"Rachel." Noah says. "I'll love you till the day I die, I fucking promise you, okay?" I look up again and there's tears in his eyes. I kiss him as hard as I can, trying to swallow my own sadness. I force myself away, wiping away the single tear that escaped my eyes.

"Forever." I say. I need not say no more. He understands clearly, that I Rachel Barbra Berry, will love him for the rest of my life. That no matter what, he's it for me. That I'll wait. That we'll make it work.

The train jerks to a stop and both our expressions match in fears. Haymitch grabs me by the arm, practically yanking me out of Noah's strong grip. He pulls me forward, leaving me in front of a door. I can vaguely hear my name being called outside it, see a blur of people waiting.

Noah's at my side again and in seconds he's pulling me into a hug, kissing every part he could reach. I memorize his feel, his body, his scent, as if I hadn't already had them locked away in my head. His lips finally meet mine for a scorching kiss, holding more promise than goodbyes.

When he tells me he loves me again, a countdown begins, much like the one in the arena. There's more kisses as the clock ticks down, more 'I love yous', until finally it gets to zero.

Noah's mouth leaves mine and the door opens with a click, revealing an unnatural brightness and a roar of cheers. I keep my eyes locked with his as Haymitch pulls me forward, getting me onto the platform.

The door closes, and I see his hand press to the glass, a soft smile. I bite back my tears, though they fall down my cheeks. Hold in my screams, though I nearly implode. I smile back at him and watch painfully as the train leaves me behind. That takes Noah with it.

The train has vanished from my sight when I turn to face the crowd. They chant my name, praise my victory. But all can think about is him. How he's gone.

I take one step forward, needing Haymitch's arm for balance. My eyes scan over everyone until I look up at the man I'm currently clinging to. He gives me a curt nod, but his eyes revel my pain. I take another look at the crowd, only to wonder how on earth I'm supposed to do this alone.

_The End._

* * *

><p><strong>Phew. Alright so I'm thinking a sequel? Loosley based off 'Catching Fire' but more focused on them then the games. But i don't know where to add Finnck, i might just make him District 12's other male tribute just because i love him. And also some JohannaRachel goodness. **

**Anyway, thanks for reading and i hope you enjoyed. **

**Lots of Love ;)**


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